


See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil

by OverInspired (latelyllama)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Child Abuse, Hurt Billy Kaplan, Hurt Tommy Shepherd, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Avengers, Protective Wanda Maximoff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2019-11-14 01:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18042923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/latelyllama/pseuds/OverInspired
Summary: My life is strange, and scary, and painful. Please take these things off. I'll be good, I promise. Tommy, I'm scared. I'm hungry. I don't know where I am.One final base, one final nail in the coffin of HYDRA. But the mission was far too easy, with two very important complications.





	1. Chapter 1

_My life is strange, and painful, and scary. I don’t know where I am. I have no way of knowing, because they didn’t like it when I knew. They put something over my mouth because I would talk back to them. They put something over my eyes because I glared. They put something over my ears because … I don’t know why they did that, but now there’s just nothing. I’m sitting on something kind of soft. Maybe it’s a bed. It’s definitely not the floor. That must be the wall I’m leaning against. Whatever it is it’s cold. I’m cold. I can feel that at least. The things on my head are heavy. I wished they’d take them off. I’ll be good, I promise. They never put these things on Tommy. Was he good? No, he was worse than me. They were always yelling at him for something. But they just made him run, all the time with the running. They never put things on him, not like this. Tommy was here somewhere. Somewhere in this … building? I can’t remember. Maybe they moved us. Maybe they left us? No, that was silly. They picked me up not too long ago, I think it wasn’t too long ago. It always hurts when they pick me up. They grab my arms and make me walk but it’s always so scary and they drop me and it hurts even more. Somehow I always end up back here, things still on my head, something sticking into my arm. It’s always so dark, it makes me sleepy. But I can’t sleep. Tommy, I’m scared. I’m hungry. I don’t know where I am._

 

“You cannot be serious!”

Steve was angry, and by the looks of it, he wasn’t the only one. You only had to look at the various expressions on the other Avengers to know that. Hill stood in front of the briefing room screen, looking solemn at breaking the bad news. Wanda had stopped paying much attention after the word HYDRA made its appearance. She thought they’d seen the last of them, they all did. How many HYDRA bases had the team gone through before they’d found the sceptre? Hill had been filling them in on a resurgent SHIELD and the efforts they’d gone to to defeat HYDRA. And now this, because of course they couldn’t just die. They had to come for one last hoorah.

“Are we sure it’s HYDRA?” Natasha asked, her voice level and calm.

Wanda envied that.

“It’s either HYDRA, or someone else using HYDRA resources. Either way, it needs to be dealt with” Hill replied.

Steve stood up, addressing the rest of the team.

“Ok, we need to get in there and make sure nothing’s left. We’ll hit the base here, on the south side. Once we’ve secured the outside, we’ll sweep the interior. Tony, Sam, you stay outside as air support and cover.”

The two men nodded.

“Natasha, Wanda, Vision, you’ll be going in with me. Split into two teams, make our sweep, take out any resistance and download any information we can get our hands on.”

Wanda nodded, as did the others. As one, they rose to get ready. For Wanda that wasn’t much. She had her powers, they were her weapons, she thought as she slipped into her combat gear. Weapons, given to her by HYDRA so that she could fight the Avengers. She felt a weird sense of irony. She’d be returning to HYDRA with the people she was supposed to kill, defeating her creators with the powers they gave her. The mood in the Quinjet was sombre. Everyone had some kind of grievance against their enemy, and especially lately, everyone’s nerves were raw. The flight was short, another thing to be concerned about. HYDRA had been so close. She felt her hands shake as they jet landed, safely nestled in amongst the trees surrounding the base. They all silently took their positions. Like a countdown only they could hear was ticking, the Avengers stood, waiting. The base hadn’t seen them coming, no alarms were blaring. Not a moment too soon, the fight began. Tony and Sam swooped by overhead, missiles firing, lighting up the area. The perimeter guards panicked, firing at the two in the sky. It was the perfect opportunity. Wanda ripped through the perimeter fencing, clearing an easy path for Steve and Natasha. The guards weren’t coordinated at all. Steve threw his shield hard. It bounced and ricocheted, knocking down the men in its path. She didn’t know where Natasha was, but if the trail of unconscious was any indication she was nearby. Wanda knew her place in the madness. A soldier managed to sneak up behind Steve. He didn’t get a chance to fire a shot. Wanda already snared him with her energy, tossing him away. Bullets impacted at her feet so she threw up a shield.

“Vision, the tower!” she said into her room.

Like a ghost, Vision rose through the structure. She could see the guards panic at the sight and try to fight him off. Shock waves from distant explosions surged through her body. The fight was winding down. Tony and Sam flew around, picking off the stragglers, Steve and Natasha rejoined Wanda and Vision. They both looked uneasy.

“I don’t like this” Steve said.

“No discipline, no strategy” Natasha said, “practically no resistance.”

“You guys chatting about how this was far too easy” Tony’s voice rang through the coms.

“Anything on radar?” Steve asked.

“Nope. And I’m not picking up much in the way of heat signatures inside. That’s not saying much though, the base is likely underground for the most part.”

“I don’t like this” Natasha said, echoing Steve’s sentiment and Wanda nodded her agreement.

Steve thought for a moment, glancing back at the base.

“Vision, you stay out here as well. I don’t like the idea that there’s reinforcements waiting for us to walk into a trap” Steve commanded, before gesturing for Wanda and Natasha.

 

The inside of the base was littered. Not with rubble, or debris, or any sign of a fight. It just looked … littered. There was stuff all over the place, like everyone had left in a hurry. They descended a level and it was the same story. Through a room they could see computers. Natasha took one look and broke off. As they continued down the hall, Wanda heard her furious typing. Down another level, and the floor was more open. It smelled of chemicals and motor oil, and Wanda immediately thought ‘lab’. It wasn’t a comforting thought.

“Hopefully Natasha can find out what kind of experiments they were running here” Steve said.

Wanda said nothing. Something about this felt off. And there was something else, something prickling at the edge of her mind. Something almost like fear. She shook her head. It wasn’t hers. A comforting hand was on her shoulder.

“You alright?” Steve asked.

“Unpleasant memories” she said.

They went down another level. This level was a lot more open planned, with more lab space. Taking up most of the space on one side was what almost looked like a gym. The bad feelings continued.

“Looks almost like a training gym” Steve commented.

“Training for what?”

Steve shrugged. The harsh overhead lights shone on something. A dark patch, starkly contrasting against the floor. Wanda didn’t need Steve to crouch down and check to know it was blood.

“Training or torture?” she asked.

Steve didn’t reply, but the look on his face was grave. Wanda continued searching when her eyes lingered on something else in the room. A treadmill, but it looked familiar to her. She could almost hear it whirring, straining, struggling to keep up with super fast legs.

“Wanda?”

“That’s … That’s just like the one they tested Pietro with, to see how fast he could run” she said.

Her heart clenched. There was no way Pietro was alive. She’d felt it. But this was a secret lab, maybe it wouldn’t be him. Cloning? Those didn’t look like genetics labs, but then what did she know. Steve stepped beside her and gestured to the corner of the room. A small corridor led off from the main room. Slowly, carefully, they inched down the corridor. It was short and narrow and from the light of the main room, they could see two doors to each other. Given how close together they were, she doubted the rooms beyond were very big. They reach the first door and Steve grabbed the handle.

“Locked” he said, before reaching out and grabbing the other, “this one too.”

Wanda nodded, stepping forward and letting her power flow. It was easy to feel how the lock was held, and with a flick of her wrist, it opened. Steve slowly opened the door.

“Oh my god” he said quietly, throwing the door open.

Wanda gasped. The room was small, like she’d guessed. Inside was a young boy. He flinched slightly as the door opened but didn’t otherwise react. Thick metal bands were wrapped around his legs. Chains were attached to each wrist, fastened to the wall so his arms were pulled tight across his chest. His ankles were also in manacles. With all the chains, Wanda would have been surprised if he could move at all. The boy was out cold, small and thin with an IV line stuck in his arm, leading to a bag which was nearly empty. Wanda swore, and Steve didn’t even correct her.

“Vision, we need you down here now!” Steve barked into his com.

Wanda reached out and brushed the boys hair away from his face. It was white and with a bang of grief, it reminded her of Pietro.

“It’s alright now, you’re safe” she said, unsure whether he could hear her, “we’re going to get you out of here.”

Through the ceiling, Vision appeared. He took one look at the boy in chains and anger flashed across his face. He reached out to pull the chain out of the wall, Wanda and Steve holding the boy steady. He moaned weakly.

“Sam, Tony, prep the jet for immediate take off. We have a kid here who needs medical attention” Steve ordered, before turning to Wanda as the final chain was pulled from the wall, “go check the other room.”

The same thought had occurred to Wanda, but she hoped against hope that they were both wrong. She unlocked the other door quickly and it swung open. Her heart sank. This room was just as small as the other. Instead of chains, there was a small cot bed that was practically falling apart. Sat on it was another boy. If she had to guess he was about the same age as the first. But this one was awake as he gripped tighter to the worn fabric of the bed, head turning to try and look around the room. He was wearing some kind of headgear, covering his mouth, eyes and ears.

“Steve!” Wanda called out, approaching the boy carefully.

Like she’d thought, he didn’t react to her words. Steve appeared in the door way.

“Oh god” he said.

Beside the headgear, the boy didn’t appear to be injured, though he too was small and thin. Also like the first boy, he had an IV in his arm leading to an almost empty bag.

“I don’t know if you can hear me, but we’re here to help you” Wanda said, gently placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

The boy flinched harshly, shrinking away from the touch. His breathing quickened. Wanda didn’t want him panicking with that thing on his head.

“Sam’s ready with the jet. We need to get them back to base” Steve said.

Kneeling down, he tried to pull the IV out. The boy flinched again, trying to get away from the touch. Wanda held onto his hands, rubbing his knuckles gently, hoping to soothe him without words. The boy froze, and Steve was able to get the IV out.

“I’ve got him” Steve said.

As gently and as carefully as he could, Steve picked the boy up. The boy panicked when he was off the bed, struggling in Steve’s arms, but he was obviously weak. There was no force behind his movements. With a final look, Steve strides out of the room, Wanda hot on his heels. A little way in front of them, Vision is carrying the first boy. They make it back to the computer floor and Natasha joined them, cursing in Russian at the sight of the boys. The one in Steve’s arms is still trying to move, his head whipping around trying to find … something. Wanda wished she had some way to calm him down. To not be able to speak, to see, to hear. To be completely cut off from the rest of the world. Who would do that to a child? And why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you have any feedback. I appreciate it immensely.


	2. Chapter 2

_There's not really much to do, but I know if I do anything they don't like they'll hurt me. Again. Or maybe hurt Tommy. They used to do that, back when I could see. Hurt one to make the other behave. Maybe that was why they put these things on me. Surely Tommy couldn't have done something bad enough to warrant that? Not that I've seen, but Tommy always was a handful. He never could sit still. The bed isn't very soft, but it's not hard like the wall. I don't want to move or I'll be in trouble. Where did that wind come from? Is there someone there? Tommy? There's a hand on my shoulder. Where did that come from? Please don't, I'm scared. There's more hands. They're tugging at my arm, trying to pull the thing out. No don't! I need that! Who are you! There are hands holding my hands. Wait, they're rubbing my knuckles. They never usually did that. I want to cry, but crying makes my eyes itchy with the thing on my head. Ow! The thing's out of my arm. The hands are back, with arms. They're picking me up again. Please ... wait. This doesn't hurt. They aren't holding me too hard. It feels almost ... nice. No! This was a trick. They're going to hurt me. The arms are too big and I'm too weak. Please help me! Tommy!_

  


"Jesus!" Tony said, seeing Vision and Steve carrying the two boys.

He stepped aside letting everyone board the plane. Once the last was aboard, the door closed and the Quinjet rose into the air. Vision immediately placed the boy in his arms down on the table, letting Natasha hurry over with a new IV bag. Wanda watched as she reattached it.

"Wanda, get another one" Steve said.

He was sat in a seat next to the table, the other boy still in his arms. The boy was almost completely rigid, shaking ever so slightly. Steve tried rubbing his arms to give him some warmth but that only made the boy flinch again. Natasha handed her another bag and she started hooking the boy up. With every touch, the boy flinched away. She managed to get it on, hooking the bag up next to the other boys, even though the lights in the jet kept flickering.

"What's up with the lights?" Natasha asked.

"FRIDAY?" Tony asked.

"Unclear. There seems to be some kind of electrical disturbance but I'm unable to track the source."

"Keep looking. We don't want to find ourselves dead in the air" Tony said.

The plane was quiet, everyone too wrapped up in their own thoughts. Wanda didn't need to be a telepath to know where their thoughts lay. Both boys were in bad condition, dressed basically in rags that may once have been white fabric. Vision was hovering over the boy on the table while the other was still in Steve's arms. He was the only one who was conscious. The plane jolted occasionally, and with each jolt, the boy tensed with a small, quiet whimper.

"Any chance you can fly smoother Sam?" Steve called up to the pilot seat.

"Those kids need medical treatment ASAP. That means the flight might be a bit bumpier than usual" the man called back.

"I'll ask it, even though everyone's thinking it" Tony said, "who the hell are these kids?"

"The science projects of some demented people" Wanda said, disgust apparent in her voice.

Wanda was watching the brown haired boy. It was like he was torn, wanting to get away from Steve but also wanting to be closer. Steve didn't try and pull him in, or push him away, letting him sit and do as he pleased but watching him like a hawk.

"I managed to trick their deletion programme into thinking it'd finished. We should have a clean download of information" Natasha said.

"I believe Agent Hill is already working on decoding it" FRIDAY piped up.

"With any luck, there'll be something on these two" Tony said, crouching in front of Steve, inspecting the boy, "like why put gear like this on a child?"

He made to reach out a hand, but thought against it.

"What do you make of it?" Steve asked.

Tony considered for a moment.

"It looks pretty piece meal, like they put the thing on his mouth then decided it wasn't enough, so added the rest" Tony said, "when we get back to the compound I can take them off. Hopefully it won't be too scary for him."

The jet fell silent, apart from Sam checking in with an arrival time. Wanda wanted to try and comfort the boy sitting next to her, but didn't know how to. Since he couldn't see or hear, he had not way of knowing what was going on around him so any touch felt like it was out of nowhere. Steve was holding him but not tight, not wanting to make him panic. The boy was looking around, if that was the right word. The lights in the jet continued to flicker occasionally.

"We're on approach guys" Sam said after what felt like forever.

The plane shook as it came in to land, and the boy in Steve's arms let out another small whimper. Wanda gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, despite the flinch at the contact. The doors to the Quinjet opened and the medical team was there. The white haired boy was transferred to a stretcher and wheeled away, but Steve shook his head when they approached the other boy.

"He can't see or hear, a stretcher would be too dangerous."

He picked the boy up properly, causing him to struggle slightly but he was still too weak to do much. Steve followed the stretcher to the medical bay, with Wanda and the other Avengers following him. Bruce was ready and waiting. Letting out a small curse, he began to examine the first boy. Steve gently put the second boy down on the other bed in the room. It was difficult to tell with the eye mask, but it almost looked like he was frowning. Some of tension left him when he was put down as he tentatively felt what he was sitting on. He cocked his head to the side, and Wanda thought it could have been amusing in any other situation. The boy carefully pressed down on the bed, feeling the softness.

"Steve?"

Maria Hill was at the door of the medical bay, gesturing for Steve to go with her.

"Make sure he doesn't fall off the bed" Steve said to Wanda as he left the room.

Natasha left too, saying she was going to help Hill look through the data. Sam left as well, leaving Wanda, Bruce, Tony and the medical team with the two boys. Once the white haired boy was properly hooked up, Bruce left to begin examining the brown haired boy.

"I'd be careful Bruce" Wanda said, "he has no way of knowing when a touch is coming."

Bruce nodded and carefully laid a hand on the boys shoulder. Predictably, the boy flinched away from it, shuffling across the bed until he was in danger of falling off. Bruce held a hand out, catching him before that happened, but that only made the boy edge the other way. They could see his breathing picking up and Bruce made no further attempt to touch him.

"Damn. Well, visually, he doesn't look injured. If he's anything like the other boy, then he'll be dehydrated and malnourished. The other boys IV bag was designed for low nutrition so I wouldn't be surprised if his was similar" Bruce said.

"So he should get better with this?" Wanda asked, pointing to the bag they'd hooked him up to.

"I should think so, but obviously we'll monitor things. Now the big problem is need to examine him and I can't really do it with that on his head."

Bruce indicated the head gear the boy was wearing.

"It'll be difficult even without it. We have no way of knowing how his senses have been affected by it" Bruce said.

The boy seemed to have calmed down slightly, but if the way he kept gripping the bed sheets tightly was any indication he was still scared.

"Well then we know what we have to do" Tony said, "we need to get those disgusting things off him."

  


Given how he was guaranteed to panic, Tony was making absolutely sure he knew what he was doing before even attempting to remove the headgear. He'd scanned, and he and Bruce were now examining it. Every now and again, one of them would have a look at the actual gear before returning to the holographic image. As per usual, their conversation was mostly over Wanda's head, though she kept an ear open to it. Mostly she just watched the brown haired boy. The other boy with the white hair hadn't woken up yet. She hated that she had to keep calling them brown haired boy or white haired boy in her head, but until the latter woke up, or they got the mouth gag off the former, they couldn't exactly ask. Of course, that assumed they spoke English. Maybe their names were in one of the files they'd pulled from the computers? The boy on the bed was sat as still as he could, though he kept fidgeting on the soft material. He was leaning back against the headboard. A little after Bruce had finished his 'examination', and probably when he thought he wasn't going to be touched again, he'd felt around on the bed. Wanda had watched him, ready to intervene if needed. The boy had felt to the edge of the bed, then felt the drop, retreating back to the middle when he did the same thing on the other side. Occasionally he would bounce a little, probably feeling the softness, and Wanda was reminded of the room he'd been in. It made her shudder.

"Ok, let's give this a try, shall we?" Tony said.

He laid some tools down on a nearby table. After a moment of hesitation, he gently pulled the boys head forward so he could get a better view of the top. The boy tensed up, but submitted. Wanda saw how he trembled beneath Tony's hand. Tony saw it too, muttering a curse to himself. Wanda knew Tony didn't want him any more scared than he already was, but this was necessary. Tony started with a tool, a small drill to remove a screw. When the tool made contact, the boy flinched. He whimpered and tried twisting away.

"Come on kid" Tony said, momentarily forgetting that the boy couldn't hear him.

He brought the tool down again, succeeding in removing the screw. The boy kept trying to twist away weakly. They all heard a very muffled cry. The lights in the room flickered. Bruce frowned at the lights but Tony was only looking at his tool, which sparked and shorted out.

"What just happened?" Bruce asked.

"That happened on the jet as well" Wanda said.

"Hmmm."

Tony mused, throwing the boy a quizzical look. The boy was curled up tightly, pushing himself against the headboard and away from them.

"You said that the treadmill was like the one they used for your brother?" Tony asked her.

"You heard that?"

"What if," Tony continued, ignoring her, "they were trying to recreate Struckers work? What if the electrical disturbances aren’t any faults in the wiring, but are caused whenever he panics?”

Wanda thought about it. It wasn’t the most outlandish theory Tony could have come up with, but it also wasn’t entirely proven. It could just as easily be a fault in the electrics and Tony was too proud to admit it. Bruce mulled it over, nodding slowly.

“It’s certainly possible” he said.

“What should we do then?” Wanda asked, “if he uses his powers when he panics too much, how are you gonna get that off him?”

“We need to find some way to calm him down. Did you guys manage to do anything down in that lab to calm him in any way?” Tony asked.

Wanda racked her brain. He’d flinched away from every touch. He’d tried getting away whenever they’d tried … but he froze when Wanda rubbed his knuckles. A simple affectionate gesture and he’d frozen completely still, like he had no idea what to make of it. She looked at the boy on the bed. Carefully, slowly, she took his small hands in hers. He recoiled but she held on, gently stroking the back of hands. The boy froze. He was maybe frowning again, any expression obscured by the eye mask. Tony and Bruce watched her, not saying anything. She reached out, managing to get one of her hands behind him. He wriggled away slightly, giving her more room to rub small circles on his back. This made him freeze again. He didn’t flinch, he was just tense, but that was better than before. Tony took his cue, picking up a fresh set of tools and getting back to his task. This made the boy shake, trying to get away, but Wanda continued her ministrations, hoping at the very least to take the boys focus away from Tony. He still wriggled and squirmed, but it was half-hearted. A moment later, she heard a soft click.

“Got it” Tony said, setting down his pliers.

He laid his hands over the casings on the boys ears.

“Ok everyone. Soft voices, nothing too loud” Tony said, waiting for the other two to nod.

Even the boy was still, despite not knowing what was going on. When they nodded, he lifted off the earphones, whatever tension had been holding them in place removed. The boys hands almost immediately shot up to his ears. Wanda worried that he was in pain, or overwhelmed, but he wasn’t gripping them. He was feeling them, running his fingers over them.

“I think he can hear us now” Tony said, uncharacteristically quietly.

The boy jumped slightly, and whipped his head to roughly face Tony.

“I think that’s a yes” Wanda said, and the boy turned to face her.

The boy’s breath hitched slightly, but it wasn’t fear. It was something else, something lighter. Some of the tension in the boys body eased. She couldn’t be entirely sure, but Wanda felt that somewhere beneath the pain, there was a small part of this boy that was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you have any feedback. I appreciate it immensely.


	3. Chapter 3

I think I'm running. Or the person holding me is running. I'm bouncing but the arms are still gentle. But they're gonna drop me, they always do. It's colder somehow, windy. I don't like it. The arms are warm but the people don't like it when I want hugs, or anything. Tommy gives good hugs. He says I give good hugs, back when I could hear him. Wait, where's Tommy? Did the strong arms have him too? I don't like this. The cold is gone. The air's almost stuffy and I think there's other people around me. What's that rumbling! I'm being put down but the arms are still around me. Tommy I'm cold. I can feel myself shaking. The arms want to rub me, but I don't like it. Only Tommy does that and you aren't Tommy. I think I'm sat on someone's legs. Feels like it. I want to get up, but they probably won't like that. But I don't like this rumbling. It keeps happening but the ground isn't supposed to shake like this. Please make it stop. More hands, where did they come from? They're tugging at my arm thing. But you already pulled it out, why are you touching it again? Please I just want this to be over. The arms are picking me up again, and are still gentle. Why are they being gentle, even though they're hurrying? I'm being put down again, but there's no legs underneath, just ... soft. It's ... soft. Is this a bed? But beds weren't soft, they were hard. This one squishes when I push down. It's making me sleepy, but I can't sleep. I don't know how, but there's other people. Why are there other people? There's never other people, not when I'm on a bed. Please, I know you don't listen, but make this stop.

 

Steve's face was grave as he entered the room with Hill. Several computer screens showed open files, and if the way Natasha was poring over them was any indication, these must be from the base. Hill looked just as serious as she turned, tablet in hand, to brief him.

"We've managed to decrypt a small part of the data you recovered from that base" she said.

"Anything on the boys?" Steve asked, straight to the point.

There was no use beating around the bush. No doubt there was other useful information, but the most pressing right now was the two boys they'd recovered from the base. They were both so small, so fragile. It made Steve's skin crawl thinking about it, not least of all because it made him think of Bucky. Hill nodded somewhat nervously.

"We did manage to find names for them" Hill says, turning her tablet around.

On screen were two almost identical files, with two almost identical photos. The one on the left showed the white haired boy, and the right the brown haired boy minus the headgear. Besides the hair colour, they looked almost the same.

"Twins?"

"It looks that way" Hill said.

Steve went back to the files. It was basic information: height, weight, things like that, but most importantly, it had names. The white haired boy was Thomas, and the brown haired boy was William.

"Make sure Bruce and Wanda get these" Steve said.

"Already done" Hill said, taking back the tablet.

Names were a good start, definitely for the medical team, but he wanted to know more. Why had HYDRA taken two boys? What had they done to them? There must be some reason for this. HYDRA never did anything without reason.

"Anything else?" Steve said.

He didn't miss the quick glance between Hill and Natasha. Steve could usually be patient, but not this time. He crossed his arms, eyebrow raised, his meaning obvious.

"Steve ..." Natasha started, slight tremor in her voice which she quickly corrected, "you're really not going to like it."

"We just found twin boys alone in a HYDRA base, one strung up like an ornament and the other cut off from the world. I already don't like it" he said, not meaning it to sound quite as harsh as it came out.

Hill and Natasha exchanged another look, and Hill sighed. Without a word, she handed him the tablet.

"Probably best you read it at your own pace" she said.

With a nod, Steve took it. From experience, he knew that just about everyone, even the hardened spies, had a soft spot for kids. Who didn't. Steve would just have to be strong enough to lead them through it. There were a few more files besides the one he'd just seen.

"That's all we've decrypted so far. I don't doubt there's more" Hill said.

She and Natasha returned to their computers, working through more of the decryption, leaving Steve to ponder the information in front of him. One was labelled 'test protocols and data', another 'subject observations'. Either one would make his stomach turn, he thought, so he bit the bullet and picked one. Subject observations. The file opened and Steve slowly began reading. With each line, his frown deepened. Occasionally he'd let out a small sound. In the corner of his eye, he could see Natasha watching him. She didn't say anything, but he could read her expression. I know. She'd read the file too, she knew what it said. If they hadn't already raided the base, Steve would have loved nothing more than to burn it to the ground.

 

A small pinging sound dragged their attention away from the boy on the bed. A screen nearby flashed at them and Tony went to have a look. The boy turned his head slightly, but didn't panic. He was too busy feeling his ears. The worry that he was in pain still ran through Wanda's head, but the boy didn't show any signs that he was. The way he felt his ears was almost like they were brand new, only just been put on. She supposed that made sense. They didn't know how long the headphones had been on, he might not have felt his ears in a while. Tony coughed, grabbing her and Bruce's attention. Two names and photos were on the screen. The two boys! Thomas and William. Thomas was still asleep, and William had stilled when he heard the cough. It wasn't quite the same tension as before, but it was still noticeable.

"William?" she said softly.

The boys head snapped to her. He knew his name at least.

"William, my name's Wanda" she said, "I'm going to hold your hand."

As she spoke she reached out, taking one of his small hands in hers. He was still tense, but didn't flinch and pull away like before. The panic of unexpected touch had been removed, at least this much.

"My names Bruce" Bruce said, introducing himself.

"And I'm the man that took that dreadful thing off your head. Tony" Tony said.

William made no indication that he understood what they were saying, but his head turned to face each new voice. Wanda sat down on the edge of the bed. William whimpered slightly, backing away from her, almost to the other side. She pulled him back and he tensed, trying to pull his hand out of hers.

"You're on a bed William, you need to sit still" she said, hoping to soothe his worry.

He did stop moving, but he still kept tugging his hand. Not wanting him to panic further, she let go.

"I'm the doctor who's looking after you and your brother" Bruce said, slowly and calmly.

He would have kept going but William perked up at the word brother. He fidgeted, his hands twisting in the hem of the rags he was unfortunately still wearing, his newly freed ears twitching as though he was desperately trying to hear something.

"He's asleep at the moment William" Bruce said, picking up on the boys actions, "he needs to get better, as do you."

William froze. Bruce looked confused, not knowing what he said to cause this reaction. Wanda leaned forward slightly, towards the boy.

"It's ok William. We're going to tell you everything that's happening so you don't get scared" she said.

At this, Tony stepped forward.

"Ok kid. We got the thing off your ears but that was just stage 1. Stage 2 is that thing covering your eyes. I'll try to work as quickly as I can, but you'll probably feel my tools" he said, licking said tools.

They flicked on with a whir and Williams breath hitched. He shuffled away as far as he could before Wanda held out an arm to stop him. Over the whine of the tools, she heard his quiet whimpers. His little body was shaking. The lights overhead, and every screen in the room, flickered. The room darkened and Wanda felt it. It was like pressure, an energy pulsing outwards. Judging by the shocked expression on Bruce's face and the slight perturbation in the usually unfazeable face of Tony, they'd felt it too. Something clicked in the collective minds of the Avengers in the room. The strange power fluctuations weren't a fault of the electrics. Somehow, it was William doing this, and always when he was scared. The rumbling plane, the vibrations of the tools. Now he could actually hear them, god it must have been scary for a child. Quickly, she shifted her seating so she was right next to him. The bed squeaked slightly as she moved, and she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Predictably, the boy tried getting away from her.

"It's ok William. You're OK" she soothed, giving his shoulders a gentle squeeze.

The boy froze again, but didn't release the tension in his body.

"Everything's alright" she said softly close to his ear.

The pressure she could feel lessened slightly.

"I know this all sounds scary, and you don't know what's going on or where you are, but I promise you were trying to help."

Bruce and Tony watched her, not saying a word.

"Bad people put these things on you, but Tony's going to take them off. Isn't that right Tony?"

"Absolutely kid."

"We're going to take them off, but Tony needs to use his tools. It'll be loud for a bit, but then he'll stop."

She thought he could understand what she was saying, but he made no indication he was listening. He probably was.

"I'm going to be here the whole time. If you get scared, that's ok. You can hold my hand if you want."

The strange pressure slowly faded away and Tony tentatively raised his tools again.

"Tony's going to start again. He'll be as quick as he can. Ok, William?" Wanda said.

The boy nodded slightly, though it might have just been a nervous tremor, but Tony took it as a nod. He started working again. William flinched. He whimpered and wriggled slightly but otherwise stayed still. One hand frantically felt around near him and Wanda took hold of it. The boy gripped her tightly.

"Almost. I think I. Got it."

Tony put the tool down, still holding onto the eye mask. He turned his head to the ceiling slightly.

"FRIDAY, dim the lights a bit."

The lights dimmed. Tony was still holding the eye mask. Williams breaths were quick and shaky. Tony fumbled slightly at the back of the boys head, and with a small click, the band snapped, falling limply to the sides. The collective breath of the room was held as Tony slowly removed the eye mask. Wanda couldn't see what colour Williams eyes were as the boy blinked rapidly. Despite the dim lights, he was still squinting. Wanda's heart broke nonetheless when he looked up at them. His eyes shone with tears, his face creased and tense. There was no word to describe it other than fear. Pure, blind, unadulterated fear. He could hear, he could see now, but still he was terrified. Bruce hurried forward, hoping to soothe the boys fears, and Wanda gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Williams eyes darted between the two as Tony stepped aside, clearing away his things.

"It's ok William. Everything will be alright" she said calmly.

"There's nothing to be afraid of" Bruce said.

William wasn't listening. Bruce moving had cleared the boys view of the bed across from him, and more specifically, the white haired boy lying in it. His breath hitched slightly and he started crawling towards him, wriggling away from Wanda and tugging at the IV in his arm as he did so. Bruce held him back.

"You can't, you're still recovering. You need to rest" he said.

William whined, struggling against the doctors arms. Bruce snapped backwards, a small spark of blue electricity jumping with him. William continued crawling forward, and Bruce tried stopping him again. Wanda shrunk back slightly as the odd pressure from before returned. Bruce looked at a loss of what to do, so Wanda stepped up.

"Do you want to be with your brother?" she asked, blocking Williams view of Thomas so that he would focus on her.

William didn't respond, but he kept trying to look past her. She took that for a yes.

"I’m going to pick you up now" she said.

William panicked slightly but didn't otherwise resist as she picked him up. Bruce looked unsure but didn't comment. It was a very short trip across the room, but William didn't once take his eyes off his brother. Carefully, Wanda placed him down, silently thanking Tony for the larger than normal hospital beds. Or maybe that was just because the boys were so small. William lay down next to his brother, holding tightly to the sleeping boys arm. The adults in the room said nothing, not knowing how best to soothe the scared child, but also not wanting to stop from the boy denied sight from crying after so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any comments that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 4

All of the Avengers had assembled in the briefing room, having received a summons by Steve. All of them that is except Wanda and Vision, who were still in the medbay keeping on eye on the boys. Steve watched as they all took their seats. They must have sensed something was off because there was none of the usual joking and banter that typically filled their meetings. Even Tony, who was never speechless, said nothing. Though Steve had to consider the circumstances: Tony had just come from the medbay. He’d made some progress into helping William with the headgear, which Steve was delighted about. The sooner they got rid of that awful thing, the better.

But the rest would have to wait.

The team needed to see this.

“We’ve been decoding as much of the information from the HYDRA base as possible. We’ve made significant progress. Much of it has already been passed on to SHIELD” he started.

“But I think we all need to see this, so that we can understand. There are two boys in the medbay, one of whom we know is scared beyond belief.”

“What do we know about what happened?” Sam asked, sitting up straight and attentive.

Clint, who hadn’t been on the mission, stood up a little more. No doubt Sam had filled him in.

“We actually know quite a lot. We managed to decode their lab notes” Steve said, “including video files.”

“Show us” Tony said.

Steve shot Natasha and Hill a look. They both nodded and Steve stood aside. The screen on the wall flickered to life. A man appeared. He was older, with short wiry hair and stubble covering his chin. He wore a lab coat and looked to be speaking to webcam.

“Dr Strucker left us with copious notes on his research and we’ve taken great strides to decode them. It is a shame that his prize recruits were snatched up by the Avengers, but if he succeeded once, then there is no reason why it can’t happen again.”

The man grinned at the thought. Tony grimaced. He looked revolted.

“Tests should begin as soon as we have suitable subjects.”

The screen went black for a moment before the next clip played.

“The work can begin progressing as Agent Seven was able to find us subjects. In the interest of scientific rigor, I had hoped to keep our tests as close to Struckers as possible. Agent Seven was able to find us twins. A boy and a girl would have been preferable, but I suppose two boys will have to do. After all, Hydra isn’t what it once was.”

The clip ended and the next one began. The man looked tired and slightly unkempt.

“I believe we have now established a base line for the research to begin from. The physical capabilities of the subjects have been thoroughly assessed. Obviously there is much improvement to be made. On a behavioural note, Subject 1 attempts to interfere with the tests of Subject 2. Thankfully, this has not affected the results and their handler has already suggested methods to rectify this behaviour.”

“How long were they with this monster?” Clint spat out.

“Some of the data was corrupted, so we can’t be certain, but it was at least a year, perhaps more” Hill answered.

The next clip played. The man looked happy.

“Today has been successful. Both subjects are complying with our requests more readily, though I still encounter resistance from Subject 1. I’ve fed this back to the handler. The first round of injections is ready. All that remains now is for the subjects to be prepared.”

“No, they didn’t” Bruce let out.

It might be the light in the room, but Steve swore he saw a tinge of green.

“Bruce” Natasha warned.

“No Nat. Wanda told me what she and Pietro had to do to be ready for the injections” Clint’s face paled suddenly, “to do that to a child is...”.

“Despicable” Tony finished.

The next clip played. The same man, the same smile.

“The subjects are ready. The first round will begin shortly.”

In the next clip the man seemed to be reading from something. He didn’t look up as he spoke to the camera.

“According to Struckers notes, the first round of injections is the crucial stage. All recipients reacted strongly to it and few made it through to the second round.”

He stopped talking, considering for a moment.

“The subjects have definitely reacted strongly. Both have been kept under observation, restrained so that we have better access. We shall continue to monitor their progress.”

“Those poor kids” Bruce muttered.

The next clip played.

“We have success for the first round of injections. Both subjects survived. The next two rounds will be difficult as they must occur within ten hours of each other. I shall report back once these have been completed.”

The Avengers were all staring down the screen. They all knew the outcome, but even Steve, who’d read the file and called the briefing, wished when the man came back he’d say something different. Alas, this was not the case.

“We have followed Strucker’s notes to the letter and his procedure works! It is marvellous to behold. I must commend Agent Seven for his selection. These two subjects are quite something indeed.”

The next clip played. Again the man was reading from something.

“Testing continues into the results of the experiment. The cause remains to be determined, but it seems as though Subject 2 is taking longer to acclimate to his new condition. His physical and metabolic functions appear to be unchanged, though we’ve had to go through several heart monitors when testing him. This requires further investigation.”

“Subject 1 on the other hand has massively increased metabolic function. His movements, his reaction time, his mental processing speed are all faster. He bears similarities in this regard to one of Struckers subjects. While it is unlikely there is any relation, it never hurts to be thorough.”

“So Thomas is speedster? Like Pietro?” Clint asked.

“It certainly seems like it” Bruce answered.

In the next clip, the man ran has hand down his face. His stubble was longer than usual, and his hair was messy.

“As yet, I am unable to classify Subject 2’s condition. The handlers report strange energy coming from him. Initially, he was tested in the same way Strucker’s subjects were, and his condition bore similarities to the female subject. However, Subject 2 is able to do things which the previous subject was unable. Namely, he didn’t just move the blocks, he changed their fundamental nature. This requires further investigation to find its limit. As for now, his condition appears to be highly vocally directed, so in the interest of safety we have removed his ability to speak.”

“Bastards” Tony mumbled.

The rest all nodded.

In the next clip, the man seemed definitely annoyed with something.

“The Subjects have increased their resistance to testing. Despite the low nutrient state we keep him in, Subject 1 refused to let Subject 2 be tested. Two handlers have already needed medical attention. This mustn’t continue. Subject 2’s condition also proves to be undefinable as he lashes out at anyone he sees. We have, of course, removed that variable from consideration.”

Tony bristled.

“I think I shall suggest to the handler that Subject 1 remain restrained unless necessary for testing. I believe this shall ensure his compliance.”

The screen went black and Steve stood forward again. Tony’s jaw was tense. Bruce definitely looked a little green. Clint was clenching and unclenching his fists and Sam just looked floored. Steve turned to Tony.

“What still needs to be done?”

“Besides the testing that we’ll need to do to make sure both boys are physically alright? Besides the shit load of therapy they’ll need to function after something like that? I think there’s quite a lot to be done” Tony shot back.

Anger stirred, but Steve held it down. Kids were a soft spot for all of them. Steve needed to lead them, not get dragged down by it.

“I meant about the headgear” Steve said.

“I know what you meant” Tony shot, the heat dying and he dragged a hand across his face, “headphones are gone, blindfolds removed. Right now he’s cuddled up with his brother with just that damn gag on.”

“How long to remove it?” Natasha asked.

She’d remained a mask throughout the videos, but the way her voice caught a little said everything about how she felt. Tony sighed.

“Not too long, I don’t think. The only problem is it’s not a typical gag” he flicked his hand and the scans he’d taken appeared on the screen, “there’s the bit covering his mouth, but then there’s also a part that goes actually into his mouth.”

“On top of everything else, he’ll likely have difficulty using his mouth properly if there’s been something inside it for so long” Bruce said lowly.

“I can get it out, but to do that without freaking the kid out? I don’t want to rush it.”

Steve nodded.

“We’ll head back to medbay. I’m sure Wanda and Vision could use a break.”

As one, the Avengers rose.

 

William had cried himself out, but he didn’t sleep. Instead, he huddled against the sleeping form of his brother. Occasionally, he’d glance over at Wanda, or Vision, or anywhere else in the room. Always though, he’d jump back to his brother. Every sound in the room had been turned down, so Thomas’s heart monitor was a quiet rhythm in the background. Wanda didn’t really know what to say now. Originally, she’d let William have his time with his brother, but now she was at a loss for words. Vision was also quiet, emotions not coming as easily to him as to others.

“I’m sure he’ll wake up soon” Wanda assured the frightened boy.

He tensed whenever she spoke to him, and didn’t look over until she’d finished, and even then only a glance. Wanda didn’t blame him. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like, to not be able to see or hear anything.

“I believe the others have concluded their meeting” Vision whispered.

“Are they on their way back?”

Vision nodded.

“William, Tony and Bruce are on their way here” William jumped at being addressed, “they’ll get that horrible thing off your mouth in no time.”

It all happened so fast. The heart monitor picked up slightly, but because it was quiet, nobody noticed. Then Thomas shifted and William startled, muffled as it was through the gag. Wanda noticed that. She just had time to see Thomas with his eyes open. She saw him see himself and William, in a hospital bed, with an IV in, with two people sat at the foot of the bed. In a blur of motion, they were gone. The IV pole crashed to the floor and both Wanda and Vision shot to their feet. The boys didn’t get far. The blur made it a couple of feet from the bed before Thomas’s legs gave out and they skidded across the room, slamming into the wall. There must have been some kind of alarm because all of a sudden, the room was full of Avengers. Wanda hurried forward, ready to help the boys up. Clint and Sam had also spotted them and moved over to them.

William was the first on his feet. His eyes were wide as they approached and he pushed out a hand. Wanda felt a wave of pressure over her. It stopped them all in their tracks. Blue sparks filled them space between the Avengers and the boys. They faded out and William collapsed to his knees, but now Thomas was back on his feet. He pulled William against him and shot them all a defiant glare.

“Stay back!” he spat at them, his voice gravelly and hoarse but full of distrust.

Wanda held up her hands, hoping to keep the situation calm. Neither boy was strong enough for this. William was gripping onto his brother, but Wanda saw his other hand, the one not holding on, had sparks jumping between his fingers. Thomas was also tensed up.

“Thomas, please. We want to help you. Both of you” Wanda said, using the same calm voice she’d used with William.

“No. You don’t!”

“Yes we do” Bruce joined in.

Thomas’s eyes darted around, taking in the room.

“Please, you’re not well” Bruce said.

“Because of you!”

“We’re not HYDRA Thomas. We’re the Avengers” Steve said.”

“Who?” Thomas asked.

His breathing was hurried, and judging by the way he was shaking, he could barely stand.

“We’re the people who stopped HYDRA” Wanda said, “we found you in that facility. We brought you back with us where you’d be safe. Tony got most of that horrible thing off your brothers head.”

Thomas glanced down at William.

“You did that?”

“I did” Tony spoke up, “and I’ll gladly remove the rest of it as well.”

Thomas stared them down again. His whole body was shaking with effort of standing. William gave him a gentle tug and he fell to his knees. None of the Avengers moved, though Wanda knew they all wanted to. Wanda had an idea. She gestured at the Avengers. One by one they got what she meant, and one by one they left. Thomas and William watched them until it was just Wanda, Bruce, Tony and Vision.

“It’s just us now” Wanda said.

Thomas was struggling. She could see it.

“Take it off him” he said eventually.

“We will” Wanda assured him, “I promise.”

Thomas bristled at that. Wanda and Vision stepped forward. The boys clung to each other harder.

“We need to get you back on the beds. You need rest” Wanda explained.

They didn’t let go of each other.

“We’ll keep you together, I promise” Wanda said.

Again, Thomas bristled at that. Vision frowned slightly, then let his face relax and he kneeled down in front of them. Thomas eyed him with suspicion and William with fear.

“I would like to pick both up and put you in the same bed. Would that be alright?”

Thomas didn’t know what to make of it. Neither did William. They both looked for any kind of deception, but Vision was a being of calm. They both nodded. Vision carefully scooped them both up, made easier by the fact they wouldn’t let go of each other. He put them down on Thomas’s bed and Bruce moved forward. It took a little longer to explain to them both why they needed their IV’s put back in, but eventually they managed. Thomas held onto William, watching the four of them like a hawk. William held onto Thomas, not really looking anywhere, just staring into his brothers chest. It was likely a combination of exhaustion, using their powers and the stress of the day that had the boys nodding off. They both fought it, desperately. Wanda and the others waited patiently until the boys were asleep. It might not have been all that peaceful, but Wanda knew for a fact that with the Avengers around, it would be safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My initial plan for this chapter was very vague on how exactly the Avengers found out about what happened. I thought this would be a more creative way of doing things than having them just read it, or for Steve or someone to explain things. Hope it worked out.
> 
> Thank you for reading. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam sat at the kitchen island. He and Clint were pouring over tablets, trying to find things. This wasn’t at all an uncommon sight, but what was different was the items they were looking for.

“What about this?” Sam asked.

“Maybe. Try and find it in less of a bright colour” Clint suggested.

They returned to their searches. Sam had just flown the jet. He hadn’t been down in the base when the boys were found, nor had he been in the medbay for their treatment. The most he’d seen was the kerfuffle when Thomas had woken up but that was about it. Clint had even less time, but regardless, both men wanted to be useful. So here they were, browsing for clothes and other things for children. Bruce had said they were about 8 or 9 years old, but it was clear to see that both boys were small for their age. Too small. They could only guess at clothing sizes.

“I think that should do it” Clint said, putting down his tablet.

They’d put the order in for just about everything they could think about. T-shirts, shorts, sweats, underwear, socks, hoodies, pyjamas, all in roughly the right size and in different styles. Sam might not be trained in childhood trauma, but he knew enough to know that having choices and options could only be a good thing. Clint had even added other things to the list: child friendly soaps and shampoos, soft toys and blankets, tooth brushes with characters on them. Clint even surprised him when he put pull-ups on the list.

“Just in case” he’d said.

It was at times like this that Sam remembered that Clint was a dad. That experience would definitely come in handy. At least until they could find something better. Still, a thought nagged away at Sam. What were they going to do with the boys?

“You done?” Steve asked.

“Yep. Got everything ordered” Sam answered.

“Everything a little boy might need” Clint added.

Steve nodded as he fixed himself a coffee. Sam could see the tension in his face. Steve often felt he needed to shoulder everything so the others didn’t have to. But he also knew that all it would take was a look from him, not as an Avenger or a soldier but as a therapist, for him to open up, or at least a little bit. Sure enough, when Steve turned around and saw the look, he sighed heavily.

“What’s up Cap?” Clint asked.

“What are we going to do?”

“About what?” Sam probed, though he knew exactly what Steve meant.

“About Thomas and William” Steve said.

“Well that’s easy” Clint said, “we find a safe home for them.”

“But that’s just the thing, where exactly could they go?” Steve said, “we still don’t know the extent of what HYDRA did to them, that’ll be hard enough. They both have powers. Thomas has already tried running away once and we don’t know what William’s powers are. Even HYDRA didn’t know. I don’t know if any family we could put them with would be able to handle all of that.”

Steve leaned heavily against the kitchen island, looking down at the polished marble. Sam understood his worry. He felt it too.

“Well, could they stay here?” Clint asked, not sounding quite as sure as he did before.

“We don’t exactly have the best environment for kids, let alone ones like them” Sam said.

The three fell into silence as each tried coming up with solutions. If SHIELD was still around like before, then that could have been an option. As it was now, SHIELD would be no better at handling the boys than the Avengers. It all came down to the same problems. The Avengers were the best of a set of bad options, but that didn’t stop them being a bad choice.

“I believe the solution is simpler than you are making it.”

Visions voice had them all turning to stare him down. As usual, the android was a picture of calm and collected.

“How are they?” Steve asked.

“When I left, they were still sleeping. I came to get something for Wanda” Vision replied.

“What do you mean, a simple solution?” Sam asked.

If they’d all be thinking about this, then it wasn’t surprising that Vision had been too. Hopefully, he’d actually managed to figure something out.

“Your concern about our home environment is not unfounded, but it also does not negate the fact that those boys need the best possible care available to them. As I see it, that can only come from the Avengers. We have experience with trauma and hardship. We have experience handling new and potentially dangerous physical enhancements. We also have a medical staff who understand how to treat those who are different than normal. If even we, with access to all of that, cannot care for them, then who else could?”

Vision turned, a bottle of water and an apple in hand, and left the room. Sam mulled over what he said, and he could see the cogs turning in Steve and Clint’s heads. Clint seemed to make up his mind and picked up the tablet again, beginning his search anew. Steve also seemed decided as he left the kitchen. Sam couldn’t help but think of all the reasons why they wouldn’t be a good fit for them. They could all get called away for a mission, leaving them alone. What if somebody attacked the tower, or the compound, and the boys were put in danger because of that? He shook his head. Valid concerns though they were, Vision was right.

If even the Avengers couldn’t help those two, then who else could?

 

Wanda couldn’t help but stare. It looked like neither Thomas nor William had moved an inch in their sleep all night. The way they were curled into each other was adorable, but Wanda knew there was more. She saw it when one of them would wince, their face pinching slightly, and the other would gently tighten their grip. She didn’t want to disturb them, lord knows they needed the sleep. Both had serious bags under their eyes. Still, every time one would of them wriggle in distress, she wanted to scoop them up and soothe their fears. Hopefully things would be better once the gag was taken off.

William stirred. In fits and starts, his eyes opened. The tension ebbed away slightly when he saw that he was still tucked in next to Thomas, but he still made himself smaller when he looked around the room. When his eyes found Wanda, he jumped and looked away. Wanda breathed out a sigh. The door slid open and Vision entered, carrying an apple and a bottle of water. William shrunk away when Vision walked by the bed.

“It’s ok William. We’re not going to hurt you” Wanda reassured him.

Vision took a seat next to her and they started talking amongst themselves, in low voices to not disturb Thomas but loud enough that William could still here what they were saying. Wanda made sure to talk about literally anything besides the two boys in the bed. William, well, he didn’t relax exactly, but he was a little more at ease. Eventually, Thomas began to stir. He woke up faster than his brother. Taking one glance at the gag still on William’s mouth, he glared at Wanda and Vision. Before Wanda could say anything, Tony entered the medbay, followed by Bruce. Bruce set about changing the IV’s, while Tony pulled up another chair. He didn’t seem bothered by the glare from the white haired boy.

“How are we all this morning?” Tony asked, directed more at Wanda and Vision.

Wanda would have told him off for his lack of situational awareness, but she knew that this was how Tony coped with nerves. Deflection.

“I think we’re good” Wanda asked, “how are you? Thomas? William?”

Thomas’s glare found her.

“You said you’d take it off” he accused.

“And we will” Tony said, “but we’re not just going to do it while you’re asleep.”

“Why?”

“Because that wouldn’t be right” Wanda said calmly.

Thomas didn’t seem convinced. Tony shrugged, shuffling forward so he was closer to the bed. He placed a tablet down on the end of the bed, and the boys shrunk away from it. William’s eyes darted between Tony and the tablet. A hologram appeared above the screen and the boys jumped.

“It’s ok” Wanda soothed.

The hologram was of a head. It was obviously Williams; the headgear gave it away.

“These are scans we took when we first got you here. It’s what helped me get the earphones and the eye mask off” Tony explained, keeping his tone gentle as he pulled the tablet back a bit so it wasn’t so close.

He waved his hand and the earphones and the eye mask on the hologram disappeared.

“Now, the only thing left is that” Tony said, pointing to the gag on the image.

William’s hand inched over to the gag he wore. Thomas caught the hand and rubbed it gently.

“I’d hoped to just remove it like I did the other parts, but this one is more elaborate. You see here?” Tony gestured and the hologram zoomed in.

The gag didn’t just cover William’s mouth. There was a part that went inside. It was shaped almost like an anchor, with prongs at right angles so it couldn’t just be pulled out. Judging by the way William pushed his face into his brothers side, he could definitely feel it, and Wanda’s heart broke just a little bit more. That couldn’t possibly be comfortable, a lump of plastic sitting inside his mouth for god knows how long.

“This means I’ll have to go a bit slower for this one, take off the outer bit first then work on the inner bit. Is that alright with you?”

That question was directed as much to Thomas as it was to William. The white haired boy had stopped glaring, but didn’t hide his suspicion. On the other hand, William’s breathing picked up. He reached up and tugged at the gag and whined. Seeing such a visual reminder of the thing must have set him off, Wanda thought. From the look of it, Tony thought so too. He shut off the hologram quickly. Wanda moved forward, hoping to calm the boy, but that was the wrong thing to do. William looked at her, eyes wide and frightened. There was a flash of blue. Tony was knocked backwards by a pulse of energy. The heart monitor shorted out. Wanda barely kept on her feet, held up by her own powers.

“It’s ok. I’ve got you” she heard Thomas muttering.

He was cradling his brother to his side. William was melting into the touch. He glanced over at Wanda every now and again. The blue flash in his eyes were gone and while there was still fear, there was also something else. Curiosity.

“Don’t mind me. I’m good” Tony said as he got to his feet.

“That’s quite a punch you’re packing there” Tony said lightheartedly.

Thomas glared at him.

“Don’t hurt my brother.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it Thomas” Tony countered.

Thomas flinched slightly at his name, but continued glaring.

“Take it off” Thomas demanded.

Tony nodded, gesturing for Wanda’s help. It was a tense time. As Wanda had thought, there was no way Thomas would leave his brother, not even for a minute, so they compromised. William was sat in the middle of the bed, with Thomas just behind him, holding his hand and rubbing his arm. Wanda stood beside both. Tony put his tools down in front of William.

“I need the light, so I’m going to turn the lights up. You ready?”

William squeezed his brothers hand. His breathing was still quick, but it wasn’t panicky, and he nodded. FRIDAY turned the lights back up. William winced slightly, squinting as tightly as he could. Tony apologised and got to work. He was gentle, talking in a low, calm voice about everything he was doing, so nothing would be a surprise. It also helped placate Thomas, who was watching every move Tony made like a hawk. Tony tilted William’s head forward so he could work on the clasp at the back. After a few seconds of work, the clasp was broken and the gag hung limply, held in place by the mouthpiece. Williams hand felt around on the bed, his eyes fixed on Tony. It eventually found Wandas. He flinched away from it, but kept it nearby. Wanda took the hint, slowly reaching out and holding on. William tensed but didn’t pull back.

“Ok, we’re almost there” Tony said.

He cut the cords so all there was was the piece covering William’s mouth.

“It’s vacuum sealed to his skin, so I just need to break this bit here and then...”.

There was a small puff and Wanda saw William’s jaw slacken slightly. William’s eyes went wide. Tony crouched low, looking directly at the boy.

“You’re doing great William. Now I need you to open your mouth as wide as you can. Ok?”

William took a moment but he nodded. Tony nodded back, holding onto the mouthpiece. William did as he was told, though Wanda could see he was close to panicking again when Tony’s hands got close.

“This might feel a little weird. Just try and keep your mouth open” Tony said.

Slowly, Tony pulled the mouthpiece away. As he did so, he twisted it. It took a little manoeuvring, but Tony almost had it out. William’s breathing was picking up. Wanda rubbed a gentle thumb over his hand, hoping to keep him calm just a little bit longer. Tony twisted and pulled, his movements incredibly slow and delicate.

“Almost, just about, got it.”

The mouthpiece came away. William’s mouth hung open slightly. He pulled his hand from Wanda and reached up, running his fingers over where the gag had been. His breathing shuddered and tears pooled in his eyes. Thomas shuffled forward and William made room. For the first time since he’d woken up, there was a hint of happiness in Thomas’s expression.

“Billy?” he asked shakily.

William opened and closed his mouth. He made to speak but held back. After a few more failed tries, he managed it.

“To-To-mmy” William slurred out.

Thomas gasped and pulled his brother into a tight hug, which William eagerly returned. Wanda couldn’t help but smile. Neither could Tony. The road ahead was undoubtedly long, and there would be many more challenges, but this right here. This was a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possibly the quickest I've ever updated something on this site. I had this chapter planned with the previous one so that's why it was so fast.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to let me know what you thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Wanda couldn’t help but smile. Thomas (Tommy?) and William (Billy) were holding each other tightly. Both boys were crying, tears streaming down their faces. They didn’t sob as such, nor did they really make a sound. For the most part, they ignored the other people in the room, though Wanda saw how their eyes flashed, every now and again and when they thought no one was watching, to take in the others present.

The demeanour of the boys had changed. A tension that they both held had faded. Not faded entirely, but with the removal of the last of the headgear, it had begun to fade a little. Wanda thought she saw the ghost of a smile on Thomas’s face, only for his brother. Tony, on the other hand, was beaming for all to see as he packed away his tools.

“Well, I do believe that was a success” he said bombastically, yet still quietly.

Thomas shot him a glance. He inched himself away from Tony, pulling William along with him in the hug. William didn’t resist. One of his hands was gently tracing over his mouth, just as he had done with his ears.

“I’ll get this disgusting thing out of your way, shall I?” Tony said, still bustling about.

William eyed the removed gag, while Thomas glared at Tony. Tony ignored the looks he was getting as he finished packing up. He and Bruce exchanged a silent conversation before he left, passing Sam in the door. The boys held tighter to each other at this new person. Sam gave them a warm smile before walking over to Wanda. In his arms was a large box.

“Some things for the boys” he said before he too left the room, shooting Thomas and William another warm smile.

Wanda frowned at it for a moment and she opened it. Inside were neatly folded clothes. She chuckled lightly. When she looked up, she saw Thomas frowning at her and William watching carefully. Gently, she placed the box down on the end of the bed. Considering both boys were small and currently curled up at the head, there was plenty of room.

“Now that you’re both awake, how about we get you more comfortable?” she said, keeping her voice quiet but still warm, “I’m sure you want to get out of those clothes and into something nicer.

She pulled out a pair of t-shirts from the box, not really looking at what style or size. The fabric felt soft to the touch, that would help. When the boys didn’t move, she kept going.

“We’ve got lots of options. They’re nice and soft and clean” she said, hoping to convince them they were safe.

It didn’t work, or at least not like she’d hoped. Neither boy moved, either to choose the clothes or back away from them. They were just frozen in place. But Wanda looked closer. She saw the way Thomas’s eyes widened slightly at the clean t-shirts. She saw the way William fidgeted ever so slightly. They wanted to change, but were nervous. That was ok, they had plenty of time, even if Wanda wanted to make them better right this instant. Instead of pushing, she left the t-shirts on the end of the bed and put the box on the floor.

“We’re going to keep you here in the medbay for the next few days so we can keep an eye on a few things” Bruce said.

When Thomas shot him a glare, he hurriedly continued.

“Ideally you’d be somewhere more comfortable, but I’m hesitant to move you right now. Thomas” he addressed the white haired boy, “you need to build your strength back up. Those IV’s you were getting were not nearly enough and your body has suffered for it. William” he addressed the brown haired boy who wasn’t glaring but was watching nervously, “you were deprived of sensory information for a long time. The lights in here are dimmed to help your eyes adjust and we’ll do our best to talk quietly so it doesn’t hurt your ears.”

Wanda had almost forgotten that the lights were dimmed. William was still squinting slightly, but it wasn’t as bad as when the mask was first taken off. She noticed his mouth was hanging slightly open. Bruce seemed to notice it as well.

“Your mouth” William snapped it shut “the muscles will be weaker from not using it, so we’ll be sure to keep an eye on it.”

Bruce’s voice was shaky. He was clearly nervous about saying the wrong thing.

“It’s been a while since either of you have had solid food so we’ll have you on IV’s for the time being. Is that alright?”

Neither of the boys answered him. Bruce ran a hand through his hair and looked to Wanda, unsure. She gave him a calm smile, exuding confidence that she wasn’t sure she entirely felt. With a nod to all of them, he left the room, Wanda guessed to find Tony.

It was just Wanda, Vision and the two boys. Wanda tried not to let her distaste for the boys clothes show on her face. They were both in basically rags. At one point the fabric may have been white, but it was so worn and dirty she couldn’t tell. She also tried not to let the smell get to her. It wasn’t a strong smell, but it was definitely there. The smell of sweat, dried blood and other things lingering. She flashed the boys another smile, and put the box back on the bed, hoping to give it another.

“Are you sure you boys don’t want to change?” she asked.

She might not know much about counselling, and her experience with trauma couldn’t entirely be mapped to them, but she was sure having some kind of choice or control would be helpful. Wanda didn’t need to be telepathic to know they did. Thomas scrunched his face up slightly when the fabric of his clothes moved. The t-shirts she’d got out earlier were still on the end of the bed. Neither boy moved an inch. Wanda pulled over a small table and put the box on that.

“If you change your mind, everything’s in here” she told them.

Wanda joined Vision, who was sat on a chair just away from the end of the bed.

“I believe Captain Rogers finished his latest piece of artwork” Vision said out of the blue.

Wanda raised an eyebrow.

“Really? He’s been working on that for a while” Wanda replied, uncertainty in her voice at the odd choice of topic.

“Indeed, though he has been rather busy of late. He sent me a photograph of it. Would you like to see?”

Wanda nodded. Vision pulled out his phone, one of Tony’s special ones. He scrolled for a moment before holding it flat. With a flick, a hologram appeared in the air above it. The image was of a sketch of the cityscape. Wanda frowned, before her eyes went wide in realisation. She knew what Vision was doing. They were sitting facing each other, but there bodies were angled towards the boys. The conversation was open to them, and the hologram was so they could see as well.

“It’s impressive as always” Wanda commented.

She glanced over at the boys. They’d inched forward slightly. William’s head was tilted slightly as he looked at the hologram sketch. Thomas almost looked to be holding him back, while William was also pulling him forward. The couple of inches they’d moved forward seemed to be enough for both of them.

“I was never much of an artist” Wanda said, “though my mama always hung my pictures up on the fridge no matter how bad they were.”

“Mr Barton may have bought art supplies” Vision said, “he and Mr Wilson were very engrossed when I saw them earlier.”

“We’ll all have to have a go then. Our fridge is sorely lacking in pictures.”

They wiled away the rest of the day like this. She and Vision talked about various things, occasionally asking for Thomas and William’s input. They never got it, and they didn’t make a big fuss about it. Bruce came in a little while later to sort out their IV’s. The boys retreated backwards again, Thomas throwing glares at Bruce as he stepped closer. The boy was practically vibrating and Wanda thought he was going to bolt again. Thankfully a soothing word and a comforting smile was enough to allow Bruce to get his work done, which was quicker than it usually was.

“Oh Viz, I was doing a sudoku earlier and thought you could help me.”

The day wore on and they continued to talk about nothing. Wanda hoped that it was doing something. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thomas yawn. A heavily stifled yawn, but still a yawn. Of course, they must be exhausted. She checked her watch. It wasn’t exactly late, but that didn’t matter. They both stood up. The boys hadn’t moved forward again and they curled up tighter when Wanda and Vision moved.

“It’s ok. We’ll let you two get some rest, unless you’d like us to stay?” Wanda said.

When the boys didn’t respond, she nodded, still all warm smiles. Together she and Vision left the medbay.

“Goodnight boys” she said, “FRIDAY, dim the lights please.”

The lights faded out. The room was only lit a couple of dim lights by the side of the bed. Softly, they closed the door. As soon as it was shut, Wanda heaved a huge sigh, running a hand over her face. She had to be strong for those boys, but it was hard to keep up when she knew she had to be careful with them. Vision hugged her against his side, rubbing her arm reassuringly.

“FRIDAY, keep an eye on them please. Let me know if anything happens” Wanda asked.

“Certainly Ms Maximoff.”

 

The room is dark, but not like the thing over my eyes dark. There’s a couple of lights by the bed. Not too bright. The woman, Wanda, she said goodnight to them. She smiled at them. Grownups don’t do that. Not to them. Grownups are all mean faces and punches. Grownups are all nasty words that make me feel bad. But they don’t care that they make me feel bad. They put the things on my head when I wanted them to stop. But these grownups aren’t like that. Wanda was soft and gentle. Tony took the thing off me. Bruce acted like a doctor, but not a mean doctor. Tommy is beside me, holding onto me. I’m holding onto him as well. He’s here! Those people had him too. They have us both. I don’t know what for. I don’t care right now. I’ve got my brother.

I can feel my eyes getting heavy. This bed is a lot softer than my old bed. The blanket is actually comfortable and not full of holes. It’s making me sleepy. No! I don’t want to sleep. I don’t want to be in the dark again! Tommy can sleep. Tommy was always braver than me. He jolts slightly and I hold him a bit tighter. I’m not going anywhere. I think Tommy needed to know that because he doesn’t jolt again. He rubs his eye. I can see the thing in his arm. I’ve got one too. I had one before but this one is different. It’s making me feel … different. Better?

“Billy?” Tommy whispers.

I nod.

“You should sleep” he whispers again, “I won’t let them hurt you.”

I shake my head. I don’t want to be in the dark again.

Tommy shuffles about so he is looking right at me. I blink against my stupid heavy eyes. Tommy is here. He’s not going anywhere, not if he could help it.

“We need to leave” Tommy whispered.

I shake my head again.

“We do Billy” Tommy insists, “we need to get away.”

“Ca- Can- Can’t” I whisper back.

Why is talking hard?

“We can’t let them hurt us again.”

I frown at him. They haven’t hurt us, yet. Maybe they aren’t going to.

“I don’t want to lose you again.”

I shake my head and hug Tommy. He isn’t going to. Tommy holds me just as tightly.

“But we do need to get away from here.”

I shuffle back so I can see him again. Wanda seemed nice though.

“They played nice sometimes too. Remember?”

I shudder. I do remember.

“We could go for the windows? Or the door if it’s not locked?”

I place a hand over the thing in his arm. They didn’t plug in the beepy machine, but maybe pulling out the arm thing would be enough.

“I can speed us out. No problem.”

I shake my head and place my hand over his tummy. It feels empty and I don’t like it. Tommy holds my hand.

“I don’t need to run for long.”

I pull him into another hug.

“Ca- Can’t” I whisper into his ear.

Tommy breathes out like he’d heard grownups do sometimes.

“Ok. It sounded like they were going to feed us. So we wait until we’re better, then we leave?”

Leaving means leaving the maybe nice people. But maybe nice people might not be nice at all. Tommy’s right. They’ve played nice before, and it hurt a lot.

“Ok?” Tommy whispers.

I nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was at least somewhat coherent.
> 
> Thank you very much as always. Please feel free to let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

It would be something of a lie to say that Wanda slept well. Granted, she didn’t sleep all that well at the best of times, she didn’t think any of the Avengers did. Needless to say, when she woke the next morning, Wanda did not feel all that rested. Vision wasn’t in bed, opting to float next to it. Wanda was used to it. Despite being an android, Vision had become more human, human enough to take his rest in a bed. That was unless there was something on his mind that couldn’t rest, then he’d prefer to float so he could easily spring to action. Wanda understood the feeling. Her night had been plagued with all the things they should have done for the boys. Whether or not they changed clothes, they still needed washing. Bruce needed to make absolutely sure they were as healthy as they could be. She could picture them curled up on a hospital bed and thought they deserved better. She rolled over, her movement ‘waking’ Vision who lightly touched down the few inches to the floor. When they locked eyes, they both smiled.

“Good morning” he said.

“Morning” she replied, pulling herself up so she was sitting.

It was early, but there was probably someone else in the Compound awake. There always was.

“FRIDAY, how are the boys?” Wanda asked, “did they sleep ok?”

“The boys are still sleeping at the moment. I detected what looked like a nightmare but it was quickly soothed.”

Wanda nodded. She got herself ready for the day quickly. Those boys deserved better than to sit in their own filthy rags. She would have to be careful, but Wanda was determined. Vision told her about the conversation the day before. If the boys were going to stay with them, then they would need to earn the boys trust. That would start with being a consistent friendly face.

The medbay was silent. Bruce wasn’t there yet so there was no one besides William and Thomas. Just as FRIDAY said, they were both still asleep. Wanda smiled at the sight of them. They looked so relaxed, so at peace. The hiss of the door closing caused William to flinch. With a jerk, his eyes crept open slightly. When he caught sight of Wanda and Vision, his eyes flew open and he tugged on Thomas’s arm. The other boy woke with a start, putting a protective arm over his brother. They watched her and Vision. Vision was looking through the box from yesterday, while Wanda continued through to the adjoining bathroom. Compared to the other rooms in the Compound, it wasn’t large, but it had what Wanda needed as she started to run a bath. She’d picked up some of the supplies the others had ordered. First order of business was to get these boys clean.

When she was happy with the water, not too deep and not too hot, she went back into the medbay. Bruce had arrived and was looking over the monitors, checking the boys condition. Neither of them had moved. Wanda sat at the end of the bed, keeping a warm smile on her face at all times. It didn’t stop them from tensing up.

“How would you two like to get cleaned up?” she asked.

When neither said anything, she continued.

“I’ve run a bath in the other room. I’m sure you must be feeling uncomfortable right now. I’m sure a nice bath and a clean set of clothes’ll help.”

William and Thomas glanced at each other, obviously having a silent conversation.

“If you’d like, we can leave you alone for your bath. Would that be better?”

She caught the uneasy look Bruce gave her when she said that, but she held firm. Another glance between the boys.

“No one comes in” Thomas said forcefully.

Wanda nodded.

“Just let us know if you need anything” Wanda said.

William and Thomas shuffled forward. Even on its lowest setting, the bed was still high off the ground but when Wanda moved to help them down, Thomas glared at her. He slid off the bed, holding tight to the frame. Wanda could see him struggling to stay standing. Even so, he helped William down. They both looked suspicious as they, slowly, made their way to the bathroom. They were holding onto each other, both for physical and emotional support. Wanda followed a little ways behind, close enough to be ready if they fell but not so they felt harried. As soon as they’d crossed the threshold, Thomas closed the door and Wanda sighed.

“That’s probably not the best thing we could have done” Bruce said, “they’re not strong enough yet. What if they need help? What if they can’t get in or out of the bath?”

“I didn’t fill it that much.”

“It doesn’t need to for them to drown” Bruce insisted.

“There was no way they would let any of us in with them Bruce, and if we honor this then it might go some way to getting them to trust us” Wanda countered.

“But FRIDAY doesn’t watch the inside of bathrooms. We won’t know if they’re in trouble” Bruce said.

“If I might” FRIDAY interjected, “I don’t watch inside of bathrooms, but I do listen, as well as monitor vital signs. I can listen for any signs of distress and alert you.”

Bruce looked like he wanted to argue. Eventually he threw up his hands and went back to his work. Vision was sorting clothes out on one of the other beds, the one William had initially been in. By the looks of it, he was organising them into outfits.

“I believe having choice is good for children” he said when Wanda joined him.

Wanda nodded, though she felt that at this stage they might just need to give them to them, otherwise every choice would need to made behind closed doors.

“Clint and Sam also ordered other items, besides clothes and bathing products. I believe they may also be helpful today.”

Wanda nodded again.

After a suitable amount of time had passed, Wanda picked up two bundles of clothes. She knocked on the door to the bathroom.

“William, Thomas? You boys ok in there?”

FRIDAY hadn’t alerted them of anything, so she wasn’t too worried. There was no response, but she hadn’t expected one.

“I’m going to open the door a bit. I’m not coming in” she stressed that part “I’m just giving you some new clothes to wear.”

She gave them a moment. Just as she’d said she would, she opened the door just enough for to put the bundles inside before closing it again.

“When you’re dressed, come out when you’re ready” she said.

She left them too it. Vision was going through the other box of things. This one didn’t have clothes, instead it was full of soft toy animals, blankets and children’s books.

“FRIDAY, how are they?” Wanda asked.

“I think they’ve finished getting washed, though it’s hard to tell just from listening. Thomas is whispering but I can’t quite make it out.”

They probably had no idea FRIDAY was listening. That would have to change, Wanda decided. Bruce joined them at the box, nodding in approval of their teammates choices.

“I think I’ll keep them on the IV’s for at least one more day. We should try getting them onto solid foods as soon as possible, especially William” the man said.

Both Wanda and Vision agreed.

A little while later, about the time that Wanda was starting to get worried and ask FRIDAY, the door to the bathroom creaked open. It didn’t actually creak, no door in the Compound would ever be allowed to make a noise, but it may as well have since it drew all the attention of the room. Slowly, very slowly, the boys stepped into the room. Their clothes were similar, but not identical. Thomas was in a white sided green t-shirt with light brown cotton shorts. William was in a cream sided black t-shirt with dark grey cotton shorts. They mostly fit, though it did hang loose. They didn’t have any dirt on them that Wanda could see, so they had at least washed themselves. The drying part was not quite so successful. Their hair was still dripping and their t-shirts clung to their bodies in places. Both of them looked exhausted from the effort.

“I think you both need a nap” Wanda said warmly.

The boys, slower than before, walked back towards their bed. Wanda smoothed out their cushions and pulled back the blanket. The sound of a small thud had her whipping back around to face them. Thomas was on his knees, his arms shaking as he tried pushing himself back up. William had tears in his eyes as he weakly pulled his brother up. Vision knelt down beside them, offering his hand to Thomas. The boy eyed it warily, glaring up at Vision.

“I’d like to pick you up Thomas, so I can take you back to your bed” Vision said calmly.

When Thomas held onto William, Vision continued.

“I can pick William up as well, if he’d like. I’m not going to separate you two” he said in the same calm voice.

The boys glanced at each other, another silent conversation. Thomas nodded and carefully Vision scooped him up. He held an arm out and William moved closer, letting Vision pick him up as well. He placed them gently down on the bed that Wanda had made up. Both looked to be fighting back sleep, so when Wanda pulled the covers up, something which the boys weren’t expecting as they tried shuffling away, they were out in barely a minute.

“Sleep tight” Wanda whispered as the lights in the medbay dimmed.

 

Soft.

So soft.

This world was soft.

Billy curled up in it, letting his hands gently skim across the surface of the bedding his was lying in. The nice woman, Wanda, had pulled up the blanket. It was scary at first, but Tommy was right next to him and Wanda hadn’t pulled it all the way up and over. It was … nice. Wanda seemed … nice. A lot nicer than the people before. They would never have tucked them in with a blanket, if they’d even give them a blanket at all. Tommy was still asleep. That was good. He needed it. At least the other people didn’t make Billy run all the time.

Billy breathed deeply, feeling the comforting presence of his brother beside him. They were together! The other people didn’t like them together. Said they kept interfering. Billy shuddered. He didn’t like thinking about those people. Much better to think of these new people.

There was Vision, who looked odd compared to Wanda. He picked them up and kept them together. He didn’t mind Tommy being Tommy and being angry. He had a nice voice that was soft on his ears. Everything was soft.

There was Bruce. He was a doctor, but not like the other doctors. He talked to them and told them why he was sticking them with things, and he didn’t even seem to like doing it. The other doctors always enjoyed it when they hurt.

Tony was the one with the buzzy things. He didn’t seem to care what the others thought, but he did take the thing off.

Then there was Wanda. Wanda was … Billy didn’t know what Wanda was. She didn’t let him go, but she was gentle. She was always smiling at them and talked to them like … Billy didn’t know what, but it was better than how the other people spoke to them. There were no nasty words that made Billy want to cry. It was just … nice.

Everyone was … nice.

Tommy shuffled next to him. Billy knew that Tommy didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe a lot of things. Billy didn’t know if he ever would, but then he had known what was going on longer than Billy had. Maybe the other people did something?

The blanket was soft, and Tommy was right there next to him, and Billy was tired. Would sleep be so bad? It would be better if it wasn’t so dark.

 

Lunch time rolled around and Wanda went back to the medbay. She was carrying two small bowls, while Vision followed after with their food. There had been quite the discussion of what to give the boys. They were still on IV’s, but everyone agreed they needed to at least try eating solid food. If William was ever going to have proper use of his mouth again, he needed to build up that strength. They’d decided on mashed fruit. It was simple and should taste nice, and didn’t require much, if any, chewing. The swirl of mashed strawberries and raspberries looked nice enough to Wanda. Hopefully the boys would agree.

The boys were still asleep when they arrived, though they quickly woke up when they entered. Thomas looked much more alert than he had when he came out of the bathroom, as did William. There was a dark stain on the pillow William had been lying on. Wanda guessed and was proven correct. William’s chin was shiny from drool. William seemed to notice as he wiped at his face. His mouth was hanging open slightly. Wanda smiled as she put the bowels down on a table.

“You boys feeling better after your nap?”

She didn’t expect them to answer, and they didn’t. Thomas was staring down the bowls on the table.

“We thought we’d bring you something to eat. Nothing too fancy but we hope you’ll like it” Wanda said, putting small spoons in the bowls.

She held them out to them. Both William and Thomas shrunk back from them. Thomas had stopped staring down the bowls to glare at Wanda.

“What did you put in it?” the white haired boy demanded.

Slightly confused, Wanda said “just raspberries and strawberries?”

Thomas didn’t relent in his gaze. It was amazing to Wanda that a boy that small could pull off such a look. Neither boy made to take the bowls.

“Are you concerned that we have put something in your food?” Vision asked, ever the voice of reason.

Thomas now glared at Vision, while William nodded slightly. Wanda made a noise of understanding. Of course they’d be worried about that.

“Thomas, William, we aren’t going to do anything like that” Wanda said, hoping to soothe their fears, “this is just plain old fruit.”

Thomas returned his glare to her.

“Prove it” he demanded.

Wanda glanced to Vision, who nodded. She put the bowls down on the bed, in plain view of the boys. If they believed that they’d slipped something into their food, then there was only one way they’d be convinced otherwise. She felt bad about eating food that was for them, but if she ate a little bit from both bowls then at least it would be even. It was a staring contest between her and Thomas. William watched between them, clearly uneasy. After a little while and nothing happened to Wanda, Thomas inched forward and grabbed both bowls, handing one to William. Wanda bit back the sigh of relief as she sat down in a chair with her own lunch.

It was a slightly awkward affair. Wanda hoped if she was eating too it would make the boys feel more at ease, but it didn’t. They pushed the fruit around with the spoons but didn’t try and eat it. Instead, they kept glancing between each other. Occasionally one of them would dart their eyes at Wanda, but they seemed far more focused on what Vision was doing. A few minutes of silent glaring from Thomas and nervous glances from William had Vision looking up.

“Would you like me to read to you?” Vision asked.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Thomas asked forcefully.

“I don’t understand.”

“She is” Thomas pointed at Wanda, “why aren’t you?”

So they were still suspicious. Wanda didn’t blame them as she took another bite of her sandwich.

“I’m not eating because I don’t eat” Vision said simply.

William gestured to himself and Thomas. Vision flashed the boy a smile which had him ducking his head.

“Its not for that reason that I’m not eating, though it was a perfectly reasonable thing to think William” Vision said.

Wanda smiled when William peeked up again.

“My body is synthetic. It’s why my skin is the way it is” Vision explained, gesturing to the maroon skin of his face, “it means that while I can eat, it isn’t necessary for me to do so.”

“Synthetic?” Thomas asked, a lot less forcefully.

“It means my body was made in a laboratory. I wasn’t born in the … conventional sense” Vision said.

William frowned. Once again, he gestured to himself and Thomas. This time Wanda picked up on his meaning.

“We’re both like you, in many ways” Wanda said.

Both boys looked at her curiously. She held up her hand and watched as red energy flowed from her fingertips. William gasped, looking to his brother with wide eyes. Thomas was frowning, but it didn’t look angry like before. It was like a spell had been cast as Thomas scooped a small amount of fruit onto his spoon. He tentatively put it in his mouth. Wanda watched as he almost swirled it around and caught the way his eyes lit up slightly. William took his brothers lead, eating a small piece as well. Wanda guessed he liked it from his gasp. They slowly worked their way through the bowls of fruit, or rather Thomas did. William seemed to be struggling to swallow his spoonfuls. He noticed it too. Wanda slowly moved to his side of the bed.

“It’s ok William. You don’t have to make yourself swallow it if you’re having trouble” she said, crouching down to his level.

She reached over to a nearby table and picked up a kidney dish. William’s mouth opened slightly and she saw the red of the fruit starting to leak.

“Here” she passed him the dish, “you can spit it into this.”

William looked at her nervously, then to his brother. Thomas nodded. William spat out the fruit, looking upset about it. He clutched the bowl tighter.

“You can keep eating, and if you can’t swallow then the dish is there” Wanda said, returning to her chair.

Satisfied that Wanda wasn’t going to take it from him, William kept picking at his bowl. It took a while, but eventually the fruit was eaten (or in the dish). Wanda took the empty bowls to wash up while Vision handed them a cloth. By the time she got back to the medbay, Vision was reading to them from one of the books. She caught the way Thomas and William were hanging on Visions every word. Thomas wasn’t even glaring. He didn’t look all that happy, but he was certainly more relaxed than he had been.

The rest of the day passed in a similar fashion. After another nap in the afternoon, Vision continued reading to them. Wanda brought them something else to eat for dinner. Mashed potatoes, because Steve decided that he needed to work some issues out on the poor roots. Thomas struggled a bit more with this than the fruit, but he managed to eat most of his bowl. William didn’t want to eat it, even though he was looking at it with longing, but between Vision and Thomas, they managed to convince him to ‘eat’ a few bites (which were spat out into a bowl). Wanda even managed to convince them to change into some pyjamas to go to bed. Thomas didn’t seem convinced at the idea, but William seemed to like the soft fabric, which got both boys into the bathroom to change. It was an adorable sight, Thomas dressed in Hawkeye pyjamas and William in Hulk ones. Wanda chuckled at her teammates choices. Another change of IV from Bruce and the boys were back in bed, sound asleep. As she and Vision were leaving, Wanda looked back. Maybe it was the change of clothes, maybe it was the bath in the morning, or maybe it was the positive interaction they’d had, but the boys looked different.

“Good night boys” she said softly as she shut the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter had no plan. I just wrote it as I thought of it, so hopefully it's coherent and makes sense. Also I dropped the first person present for Billy's point of view. It was interesting to try but it felt too unnatural for me to write.
> 
> Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and thank you for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is inspired by Rolling Thunder by Ieznos. I highly recommend reading that work.


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